Roberto De Zerbi to Liverpool: Brighton release clause stated, Richard Hughes link – 'I would include'

The more questions Roberto De Zerbi answers about his future, the less certain it becomes.

The Brighton boss continues to be linked with numerous roles this summer, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and clubs in Serie A all reportedly tracking his situation.

De Zerbi is contracted with Brighton until June 2026 but his answers on next season are often open to interpretation. His recent comments on the owners making mistakes this season also fanned the flames of speculation.

"Everyone needs to think about themselves,” he said last week. “I need to think about myself and the club needs to think about themselves. I need to look at the mistakes I made and should not repeat."

The 44-year-old Italian has though impressed greatly since his arrival at Brighton in September 2022, succeeding Graham Potter who left for Chelsea.

De Zerbi guided Brighton to sixth in the Premier League and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history. Despite numerous injuries and losing star players Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton topped their Europa League group – one that included Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens – and are challenging for a top six spot in the Premier League once again.

The 4-0 loss to Roma in the Europa League round of 16 was a painful one but the Seagulls recovered with a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest and also beat Roma 1-0 in the return leg at the Amex, going out 4-1 on aggregate.

It’s unlikely the result in Roma will put-off the top clubs as De Zerbi’s work over an extended period has impressed. The style of play he’s implemented at Brighton is great to watch, he’s a clever motivator of players and his passion on the touchline and honest approach to the media has made him a favourite.

Xabi Alonso also remains a target for Liverpool but with Bayern Munich also in the mix for the former midfielder, the Reds are keeping their options open and the De Zerbi link remains strong. Their new sporting director Richard Hughes is also said to be a fan of De Zerbi and even tried to bring the Italian to his former club Bournemouth, before Brighton nipped in.

“Another name I would include in potential list [for Liverpool] is Roberto De Zerbi,” transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said on JD Football YouTube channel. “De Zerbi is doing very well at Brighton. Many clubs are keeping a close eye on his situation. From what I am hearing, there is a release clause also in this case. It is something around £13m. Let’s see if Liverpool will decide to go for him or not.

“At the moment there is not something concrete. I still believe they will try for Xabi Alonso until the end.”

Speaking last week, former Liverpool player and manager Graeme Souness said: “It's the style of football that makes him attractive and I enjoy watching them [Brighton]. You look at Liverpool at the end of the season and you get that job, what a dream job. Will he [De Zerbi] be in the frame? Yeah."